Today’s podcast looks at Miles Davis’ background and what led to his own musical changes in 1959. Davis actually recorded two groundbreaking records that year – “Kind of Blue” and “Sketches of Spain.” Journalist Ben Ratliff adds how these records helped to change how people listened to Jazz, and Carlos Santana remembers what Bill Graham told him about “Sketches of Spain.”

In 1959, Jazz musicians and fans were both ready for changes beyond the bebop sound that had been popular since the mid 1940s. Unfortunately, there was some resistance at the record companies responsible for bringing the new music to the marketplace. Eventually, the labels were happy their artists like Dave Brubeck persisted, once “Take Five” became the biggest selling jazz single of all time.

Ben Ratliff, Dave Brubeck and Brubeck’s manager Russell Gloyd recall what was different about Time Out.

Welcome to the first episode of JAZZ: THE ’59 SOUND – a four-part look into how 1959 became jazz’s greatest year. Dave Brubeck – Time Out, Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah-Um and Miles Davis & Gil Evans – Sketches of Spain are three 1959 jazz albums featured as examples of new directions musicians began taking that year.

Throughout this series, you’ll hear clips of songs from those albums, as well as interviews with Dave and Darius Brubeck, Sue Mingus, journalist Ben Ratliff and others.

In this podcast, musicians Herbie Hancock, David Amram and Jimmy Cobb address the music theory behind Kind of Blue, and how the feeling of the musicians was equally as important as the compositions themselves in its creation. Considered “Modal Jazz” as it is written from a few basic notes that form the structure of the song, it is as Herbie Hancock says “a new use of an old technique.” David Amram expounds: “Miles knew that music from India, the middle east and native music around the world would have a basic scale, and the sophistication would be in HOW you did it.” Herbie Hancock concurs with Amram on his interpretation of this historic album: “Musicians could easily learn the songs, of course the challenge was playing them.”

Our second Miles Davis segment begins with legendary saxophonist Jackie McLean and Kind of Blue drummer Jimmy Cobb talking about the sound Miles was after with his 1959 sextet at the first Kind of Blue recording session on March 2, 1959. Herbie Hancock also adds his thoughts on Miles’ priority for the session to capture the moment – not to do multiple takes of the same piece to create something mistake-free.

Our Black History Month feature continues with another great African-American musician – Miles Davis, to honor the 50th anniversary of his landmark album “Kind of Blue.” Collaborators, friends, critics and historians look back on how this record was created and its impact on music and pop culture over the last 50 years.